To Truly See
by T.O. Cole
Summary: During an unusual training session, Toph teaches Aang what it means to truly see. [oneshot]


**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. **

**A/N: My second one-shot. I hope you enjoy.

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"**We live by faith, not sight."**

**-2 Corinthians 5: 7

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**To Truly See

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"Up and at 'em, Twinkle Toes! It's time for training!"

Aang groaned and rolled in on himself, knees hugging his chest. The cool morning air brushed against his face and, squinting through half-moon eyes, he saw shifting shadow and the hovering presence of night.

"Now?" he asked, voice thick with sleep.

His earthbending master huffed irritably. "No, Twinkle Toes, tomorrow." Rolling her eyes, she growled, "_Of course now_!"

He turned away from her. "The sun's not even up yet, Toph."

The earth trembled and, with a devastating thunderclap, he was sent tumbling from his comfortable resting place. The dazed Avatar landed with a painful thud a few yards away.

Side aching, and no longer disoriented by sleep, Aang sat up with a frown. "What the heck was that for?" he demanded.

Toph smirked. The remaining moonlight danced across her milky eyes. "Do you expect to master earthbending in your sleep?" she asked.

He opened his mouth to make a smart retort but was unable to.

The little earthbender nodded. "I thought so. Now stop whining and get ready. We have a lot of work to do."

Aang groaned again and buried his head in his hands. "I was afraid of that."

"_Rock like_!" she screamed. He squealed and leapt from the ground, standing at attention. Toph snickered. "Damn, I'm good."

* * *

"So…" Aang said, in between a massive yawn and a sniffle. "What are we doing today?" He rubbed at his eyes blearily.

Toph was stretching. She bent gracefully, touched her toes, and worked her leg muscles. She made a strange motion with her ankles, turning them in a neat circle, followed by the rubbing of her shins. "We're running," came the simple reply.

"Huh?"

"Did I stutter?" she snapped. "I said we're running this morning, Twinkle Toes."

The boy frowned, suddenly irritable with his blunt teacher. "I know that," he said. "But why? What does running have to do with earthbending?"

"Running builds up endurance and stamina. You need both to be a capable earthbender," Toph explained. An excited grin was her most noticeable feature, even in the dim light. "It'll be fun."

The Avatar grumbled. "Says you."

She cocked a brow and her glazed eyes landed on his face. "If I were you, I would be stretching instead of running my mouth. It's cool. I don't want you to pull a muscle and start crying."

"So why are we running this early?" he asked smugly, figuring he had caught her.

Toph quickly countered with a sweet smile. "Do you _really_ want to run in the heat of the day?"

"Uh…"

"'Cause we can do that. You'll just be hot, sweaty, and miserable."

He sighed. "No, I don't want to do that."

"Then shut up and start stretching."

Aang followed her example. Toph showed him the proper methods and techniques, especially for stretching the calves and upper thighs.

"Have you eaten?" she asked, once they had finished.

"Katara gave me a piece of fruit. But that's it." His stomach growled. The boy was still confused as to why the waterbender had refused to let him have more. Were the two girls in on this together?

His suspicion was confirmed when Toph nodded. "Good. Can't run on an empty stomach, or you won't have the energy. But if you eat too much…" She chuckled. "Let's just say I would rather not hear you throwing up your guts over the side of the trail."

Aang's growling stomach suddenly did not seem so bad.

"Have you stretched well?"

"Ah…" Aang stared dumbly at his legs. "I hope so."

"I do, too. This won't be easy, Twinkle Toes. Endurance running is tough. You'll be sore later on."

A hint of nervousness crept into his gut. What was he getting himself into?

Toph moved away from the campsite, gesturing for him to follow. "Let's go. We have to finish before we miss it."

_Miss what?_ he wondered.

"Hop to it!" Toph roared, noticing his hesitation.

Aang glared at her retreating backside. What was this? Boot camp for the Earth Kingdom?

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"We'll be following that trail."

Toph had led him to the fringe of a forest. Towering spires and craggy outcropping loomed overhead. A trail, marked by fallen leaves, twigs, and bracken meandered its way through the thick foliage and strong trees.

"Where does it lead?" Aang asked. The short walk from the campsite had invigorated him. He was now looking forward to this training session, however unexpected it was.

She smiled. It was not a smirk or a teasing grin, but a true smile.

"You'll find out," Toph said.

"Okay! So can we start now?"

He knew that he was faster than the little earthbender. For all her bravado and cockiness, Toph was the smallest member of their band. Even Aang, slim and a near twig, was an inch or so taller than she. His legs could cover much more ground than hers. Airbenders had always been quick and agile speedsters.

It made his conscience ache a bit, but Aang was looking forward to making Toph pay for her smart remarks earlier that morning. The treble of a competitive spirit roared in his chest.

Toph either did not hear the confidence in his voice or she chose to ignore it.

"Much better attitude," she complimented. "That's the spirit of an earthbender! Sure. Let's start." The blind girl edged close to the trail. "Now, the thing with endurance running, Twinkle Toes, is to-"

"_WHAHOO_!" Aang cried, darting past her. "See you later, Toph!" He raced down the trail, laughter echoing through the woods, until he was lost to her special sight.

She slapped her forehead. "Idiot," Toph muttered. "He's going to wish he hadn't done that."

* * *

Aang was enjoying himself as he tumbled and ran through the forest. There was just enough light to see by, illuminating even the maze of woods and wildlife, as the sleepy moon gave out its last silvery beams and the tendrils of rising sun crept from the east. The air cut and swarmed behind the Avatar, blowing up leaves and undergrowth.

This was fun! Why had he been so worried about _this_? He was great at racing!

He had left Toph far behind. Several times, he would stop, a stupid grin on his face, until she came into view. Then, laughing, he would speed off yet again, faster than before.

Ten minutes passed in this fashion. Slowly, but surely, Aang began to slow down as his body tired.

And, as Toph had foreshadowed, the boy began to regret his actions.

His lungs burned with the lack of air. Aang's breathing was short and gasping, near wheezing, and his legs trembled beneath his frame. He felt like he was dragging several heavy weights. He was tired.

Fifteen minutes into the exercise and he had slowed to a near walk. The sweat was running into his eyes and he blinked furiously. His side ached and his chest felt tight. He struggled to keep going.

Toph caught up to him. Unlike her student, the earthbender moved with confident, strong strides. She was steady and confident, her cheeks the faintest hue of pink. Sweat dotted her temples but, other than that, Toph looked fit to run much longer.

She fell in alongside the exhausted Avatar. "What's the matter? Tired already?" she teased.

Aang felt snappy but restrained himself. "It's not that funny," he gasped. He pushed himself to keep up with Toph. It was hard. "How much longer do we have to go?"

"Another thirty minutes, at least."

He felt his stomach drop. "_Thirty minutes_? But I'm tired…"

"That's what you get for running off like a rabbit, Twinkle Toes," the blind girl replied matter-of-factly.

"B-but…we're running," he protested. Aang had dropped behind her but Toph showed no signs of slowing. "I thought…"

"Yes, we are running. _Endurance_ running! Not racing. I could care less about how fast you are. Any idiot can sprint a few yards. It takes true strength to be able to _keep_ running."

Understanding, and embarrassment, flooded over him. "Oh." He realized how stupid he had been. "I guess that's what you were trying to say back there. I'm sorry."

Toph shook her head. "Yeah, you are sorry. Nothing new there."

Hurt replaced embarrassment but then he noticed her smile. It surprised him.

"Don't get so depressed, Twinkle Toes. I didn't expect you to be a champion endurance runner right off the bat. I told you this was tough stuff. At least you're learning. That's worth something, I guess."

Was that a compliment?

He felt a surge of strength and raced to catch up to her. Instead of leaving the blind girl behind again, Aang matched his pace with hers.

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The next thirty minutes was near torture for Aang. The terrain grew rough, hilly and hazardous, and he stumbled at each misstep and struggled up the steep slopes. Toph moved steadily ahead but, to her credit, the blind girl never left him behind as he had her.

"Keep it up, Twinkle Toes!" she shouted. Legs pumping, she was the very picture of enduring fitness. "Don't give up yet, _wussy boy_! Try and stay with me."

To prove he wasn't a wussy boy, Aang did just that. He strained to catch up, panting heavily and sides screaming with hot aches.

_How can she possibly enjoy this?_ the boy wondered. _This is…this is horrible!_

Then again, he reflected tiredly, maybe she enjoyed making him suffer.

Toph pushed him hard. When he fell behind, she rounded behind and encouraged him. Of course, her encouragement was more teasing and order-like, but it gave him the drive necessary to keep going. Eventually, he was tired but numb, and he felt as if he were running on air.

They came to an incline of rocks. It barreled up the steep hillside, framed by rough stone and eons of weedy growth. It was a small mountain. The trail continued up the side, spiraling higher.

"We're going up," Toph said. By now, bright light, not the dim glow from earlier, had graced the world. Aang could feel the heat of the wakening sun peeping over the eastern horizon. "There is a ledge at the end of the trail. We'll stop there, Twinkle Toes."

The pair clambered up the trail. Even Toph was out of breath and tired by this point. Her cheeks were flushed, and she strained to climb up the final slope, but the girl was in much better shape than Aang. She quickly left him behind.

Aang's legs protested as he ran up the hillside. He ran on his toes, as Toph has suggested earlier, and found that some of the pressure was relieved. Exhaustion coursed through him and he gasped when he stumbled over the final outcropping. He wavered on his feet as he struggled to right himself.

Toph was nearby. The ledge was wide. Even Appa would have been able to sit here without trouble. She was stretching again and, upon feeling Aang approach, the earthbender glanced up momentarily.

"Keep walking," she ordered, when the Avatar made to sit down. "And stretch when you're finished."

"I-I can't breathe…" he whispered, gasping for air.

"Put your hands behind your head. Like this."

She showed him and he did as she advised. His chest and lungs expanded and he took in a deep gulp of precious air. Aang walked back and forth for a few minutes, until he felt well enough to stand. He stretched, soothing his aching and sore muscles, face lined with exhaustion.

"Twinkle Toes," said Toph. She was sitting at the edge of the precipice, legs dangling off the side. "Come sit beside me." He did, sliding next to her. "Look." She gestured at the scene now exposed before them.

Aang suddenly knew why they had come to this particular spot. His eyes widened and his newly found breath drained away. Heart thumping, he murmured, "Wow…"

The sky was alight with spiritual fire. Tapestries of crimson red, pale yellow, and iridescent pink exploded across the east, flowing together in an eternal dance. The sun tumbled across the far mountains, like an awakening creature, its beams shimmering and strong, the warm tendrils coating the landscape below in warm glows of burnished gold.

It was the sunrise.

"It's beautiful," he whispered. Aang winced, mortified at his less than tactful remark. "Toph…I didn't mean to…I'm sorry…"

But, to his surprise, she smiled. "No, Twinkle Toes. It's okay. I agree." Her dim eyes, always carrying the faintest hint of emeralds, intensified in the rising sun. "It is beautiful."

Confusion overcame Aang. "But how do you know that?" he asked.

"Didn't you just say it was?" she asked, smirking.

"Well, yes, but that's not what I meant. You're blind, Toph. You can't see the sunrise."

He was afraid she would become defensive. She usually did, when anything crept too close to her rock-hard resolve concerning her blindness. He remembered all too well her reaction to Katara the night they were being chased.

But Toph was full of surprises. The girl was calm, serene, and continued her unusual vigil towards the east. "You're right," she said. "I can't _see_ it. But that doesn't mean I can't _appreciate_ it."

"Huh?" He turned away from the marvelous sight. She was much more interesting. "How can you appreciate it if you can't see it?"

The teacher shook her head. "Aang," she said, using his name instead of the affectionate nickname. Her tone was serious. "You can see the most wonderful things in the world, but if you're heart isn't open to them, everything looks no better than mud."

"I…" He frowned, unable to grasp her meaning. "I don't understand," Aang whispered.

She snickered. "Somehow that doesn't surprise me."

"Hey!" he said. His cheeks warmed but his glare was lost on Toph. "_Excuse me_ if I can't decipher your stupid riddles."

"Sheesh, Twinkle Toes. I was just joking. You take things too seriously. Typical airbender."

He could not help it. A smile crossed his face. "About what you said. Can you teach me?"

Toph shook her head. "No. I can't teach this. You either get it or you don't." He sighed, disappointed, but felt her hand on his shoulder. "I can help you, though," she said, "if you're willing to listen."

"I'm willing to listen. Really. I want to learn."

"Good." Her hand drew away. "How did you like running this morning?" Toph asked.

The unexpected question caught the Avatar off-guard. Scratching the nape of his neck, Aang replied, "Well, to tell the truth, I hated it. It was hard."

"Really? We went through some really pretty countryside, Twinkle Toes."

"What? We did?" Another question erupted and made him frown. "Wait. How do you know that?"

Toph made a sound similar to an impatient horse.

"_Please_. Give me some credit. I'm blind but not stupid. It's spring, Twinkle Toes. Everything is blooming, thriving, living. The world is waking up again. The earth is singing. I don't have to _see_ it to _know_ it. You'd have to be an idiot not to notice."

His cheeks flushed. "I didn't notice."

"Of course you didn't!" she snapped. "You were too busy complaining about having to run to enjoy anything." Toph flicked him in the head. "You had a chance to see wonders but all you saw was mud."

Aang, rubbing tenderly at his aching temple, knew she was right but he was not about to admit it. "So? It's not like it matters. It was too dark to see much, anyway."

"And _that_ is your excuse?"

Frustration made his nerves and emotions frayed. His temper mounting, the Avatar glared at his teacher. "What does any of this have to do with the sunrise?" he demanded.

Toph sighed and turned to look at him. Her stare slipped right past him. To anyone else, it would have been eerie, almost creepy, but Aang fell into those glazed orbs. There was wisdom there he never would have associated with the blunt earthbender.

"Twinkle Toes, you trust more in your eyes than in your heart. You're _looking_ but not truly _seeing_."

"Truly…seeing?" The young Avatar's brow wrinkled. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"Close your eyes," she said immediately.

"Wha…Huh? You want me to close my eyes?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

She scowled. "Just do it!" the Blind Bandit snapped. He did as she asked and was thankful he had, for her light fingers trailed over his face. "Just making sure. Now, tell me, what do you see?"

"Nothing," he said.

"Really? Are you sure?" Toph pressed. Her voice held meaning. What that was, Aang did not know, and he was yet again left in the dark.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I can't see anything right now."

Toph chuckled. "But you are looking right at the sunrise, Twinkle Toes. Are you telling me you can't enjoy it now?"

The temper he had held in check snapped. "I can't see it!" Aang said through clenched teeth. "Don't you get it? I can't see it! My eyes are closed. How can I enjoy something beautiful if I can't see it?"

"I can't see it either."

The young Avatar opened his mouth, ready to continue on his tirade, but her words slapped him across the face. A lump came to Aang's throat and he made to swallow it, his chest heavy.

"I…I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking…" He stared at his feet, awkward and frustrated, his head pounding. "I just don't get it, Toph," the boy whispered.

"Aang," Toph said. Her voice caught his attention and, opening his eyes, he looked at his earthbending teacher. "I know you can't see it. But, even when your eyes were closed, you knew the sunrise was there, right?"

"Yeah. Sure. I knew it was there. But I couldn't…"

"See it. I know. But that's not the point. You knew it was there. _Knowing_ is the key."

When he made no reply, she continued, "I'll never be able to see the things you do, Twinkle Toes. At least, not the way you, Katara, and Sokka can. I'll never see the blooms of spring. I'll never see the sunrise. I'll never even see what you look like."

"Toph…" Aang said sympathetically. He could see her face scrunched up, how much it hurt for her to admit that she was handicapped.

The airbender's hand wavered at her shoulder, fighting two separate urges. One was to leave her be. The Blind Bandit was tough and 'carried her own weight.' The other wanted to comfort her, as an ally, as a student, as a friend.

His thoughts were cut off when she smiled at him. It was another one of her true smiles, the sort that lit up her face every so often, and was far more beautiful than anything in her world of riches and silks.

"But it's okay. I can't see things. But I _know_ great things exist. I _know_ miracles happen. I feel the earth sing when it is spring, and I know a new year has come. I can imagine the sunrise and sunset, paint the picture in my mind, and know it is beautiful. And…"

Her face seemed to lift up, almost inflate. She was happy. Toph's hand trailed over and tapped him on the forehead with a dirty finger.

"I know you're there. I know you, and Katara, and Sokka are my friends, my first real friends. I know that." Her smile grew. "And that's miracle enough."

The sentiment touched him deeply. Even so, he could not help but wonder. "But don't you ever wish that…well, you know, that you could? See, I mean."

She was silent for a moment. "Yes," she admitted. "I do. I would love to see everything I miss. Like faces, the moon and stars, colors..."

A faraway look came to her face and Toph sighed. "But that doesn't keep me from being thankful for what I _do_ have. Or knowing that there are miracles. Nothing should keep you from enjoying life. If it's one thing being blind has taught me, it's not to take anything, even the smallest things, for granted."

Aang could not help but stare at the girl in awe. Her words from earlier now made sense, wonderful, lovely sense. "You see with your heart, not your eyes," he said. "Wonders and not mud."

"I guess you could say that," she said, shrugging.

"Think I'll ever be able to?" Aang asked hopefully.

"That's up to you. Only you can decide what's beautiful or special. But…" She grinned again. "Something tells me you already can."

Toph glanced back towards the sunrise, which, although not in its fiery birth, still ruled the horizon in depths of color and magic.

He followed her example. The boy felt himself drawn to that natural painting. Now the run seemed more than worth it. A blessing in disguise, even. It had given him the chance to witness this miracle that most took for granted.

He no longer simply _looked_ at it. He really, and truly, _saw_ it.

Sometimes, perhaps it was best not to be grateful for _what_ something was, but simply that it _was_.

And he had her to thank for it. He wondered if this had been her intent from the beginning. His gray eyes slid towards his companion. For someone who was blind, Aang reflected, she saw far more than anyone he had ever known.

_I'm glad she's my friend._

The pair sat in silence for a few more minutes. They were bathed in the rising sun, painted in auras of gold and pink, the breath of life brushing across their faces.

Toph was the first to recover. She pulled away from the airbender and stood, stretching her legs.

"We should head back to camp. Sugar Queen and Snoozles have probably finished making breakfast by now." Smirking, she added, "I can hear your stomach from here."

"Are we running back?" he asked. He clutched at his belly to keep the growls subdued.

She snickered. "You can, but I'm not. I'm hungry but not _that_ hungry. I'll just walk back."

Somehow, he knew he was wearing a cheesy grin. "I think I will, too," he said. He used airbending to fly off the ground and joined her at the trail. "Maybe this time I'll notice, and appreciate, what's around me."

"Fine by me. Just don't get too close." Her nose wrinkled. "You smell sweaty."

They descended from the ledge and, before long, they were trekking through the forest. "So…will we do the same thing tomorrow?" the young Avatar asked.

He was frightened by the devilish smile that came to her face. "Nope. It's a surprise."

"Something tells me I won't like the surprise," Aang said, less than enthusiastic. He was already dreading the next training session.

She laughed menacingly. "Yeah. You probably won't. But I know I will."

"You're evil."

"And you're a wussy boy." She punched him on the arm and nearly made him topple over. "If you're the world's last hope, I think we're all doomed."

Aang smiled. "With you, Katara, Sokka, Momo and Appa by my side, I highly doubt that." He gave her a reverent, grateful bow. "Thank you, Sifu Toph."

"You don't have to call me Sifu, Twinkle Toes," the little earthbender said. "It sounds weird."

Despite her request, Aang knew the title had pleased her. She would never admit to it, least of all to him, but her face bespoke volumes. Toph was fairly glowing, brighter than even the rising sun in the painted east.

He knew the truth. And that was good enough.

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**A/N: This was much harder to write than "Healing." The introduction was easy enough but the overall message was hard to convey.**

**I run cross-country and it does require a great deal of endurance and stamina. I thought it was perfect for one of Toph's training sessions. If you do not agree, I apologize, but having her run Aang made for an interesting premise.**

**And a way to get them to the sunrise, right? **

**Like I said, the meaning was hard to convey. In simple terms, we need to appreciate and be grateful for the miracles around us. Do that and you will always be able to see. **

**Corny, perhaps, but as a Christian, I believe it with all my heart. God has given us so many great and wonderful things. We need to be thankful for those blessings.**

**The "wonders, not mud" idea comes from Jane Kurtz's _The Feverbird's Claw_. **

**I hope I wrote no one OOC. In terms of Toph, I only point to her scene with Aang from "The Blind Bandit." She is not always so tough and blunt. A better example would probably be the scene between her and Iroh in "The Chase." Toph can be quite insightful and perceptive.**

**And, yes, I wrote Toph as the smallest member of the Avatar gang. This stems from "Bitter Work," where the artwork depicts her as somewhat shorter than Aang. She looks up at him several times. I may be wrong but, in the context of telling a story, it hardly matters.**

**As always, remember to read and review. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.**

**God bless!**

**Sifu Toph**


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